The Children's Book Podcast

Victoria Jamieson (@JamiesonV) and Omar Mohamed (@dantey114) share WHEN STARS ARE SCATTERED, a graphic novel based on Omar's experience as a Somalian refugee Kenya. Omar's story is one that you won’t soon forget. It is a story about family and about surviving. It’s a story about education and advocating for yourself. In Omar’s experience, he says “the worst part about being in a refugee camp is that it’s monotonous and boring.” This is where Victoria’s skills as a storyteller and cartoonist shine. The comic has a strong sense of setting, helping give purpose to all of it’s characters and how their lives intersect. WHEN STARS ARE SCATTERED is the first book since safe-at-home that I’ve connected over with a student. Emma, one of my 3rd graders, share it over Zoom during one library class and we each immediately fell into a moment of book love as we realized we were each reading the same story. Emma and her sister Hannah are mentioned throughout this conversation, as well as the amazing ways these readers were